When Will Arvin and Wesley Murry purchased Castle & Key, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 2014, they had to truly imagine the possibilities. Twenty-two rather derelict buildings covered with dense overgrowth were in a rather rough shape, after being abandoned for over 40 years. “When we first looked at it, we saw what it would become,” says Murry. “The thinking was to elevate the experience at Castle & Key to what Napa Valley has been achieving for decades."

Following an extensive makeover (roofs had to be repaired and the buildings made watertight), Bourbon Country’s newest distillery officially opens this week, with a look and feel that is modern yet with Victorian and Neoclassical touches. Castle & Key was built by the bourbon industry’s founding father, Colonel E.H. Taylor. In a sense, the distillery’s purpose has remained true to its initial vision from 1887. But at the same time, it aims to be a new kind of experience.

The beautiful Springhouse that shows the aquifer water source had to be completely restored.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

Surrounded by lush gardens with local plants ranging from rosemary to lemon verbena, it boasts Kentucky’s first female Master Distiller since Prohibition, Marianne Eaves, whose palette takes judicious risks in the way vodka, gin, and bourbon are distilled and blended.

“I would like to think of our spirits as complex and nuanced,” says Eaves, who notes that many of the spirits use grain that is grown in Kentucky—which is not so common. The distillery currently serves an initial release of its own vodka and gin (the “Restoration Release”). Four different bourbons and two types of rye whiskey are currently being aged in the French and American white oak barrels in the property’s warehouses.

The Boiler Room at Castle & Key is the first visitor experience, with airy ceilings and locally sourced accents.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

“People have a growing interest in new flavors,” says Eaves, explaining that one of the gins has nuances of juniper, coriander, and angelica. Guests first come and relax in the Boiler Room, which features a large historic steel laser-cut logo of Castle & Key above the cash register. There’s a cozy vibe to this room with its airy ceilings.

Interior designer Donna Winfield added a little refinement with Oriental rugs and accents sourced from Kentucky-based Maynard Studios but kept the textures in the Boiler room simple with steel, brass, copper, and concrete materials staying true to the original aesthetics of the place.

The intimate tasting room features a leather-top bar and dark accents.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

Tastings of spirits are done in the adjacent tasting room, which boasts a fully stocked bar with a leather top, gaslights, and a dark palette. “It’s pretty intimate,” says the property’s brand director, Caroline Cassin. “There’s only 15 people at a time because we want to get to know our guests.”

After the tasting, visitors can meander at their leisure through the outdoor botanical trail lined with local plants and magnolia trees and take in the grandeur of the property’s 113 acres. A must-see are the sunken gardens, which were restored by landscape designer Jon Carloftis, who made a name for himself in New York designing rooftop gardens.

Eaves aims to have seasonal expressions of gin, using unique botanicals such as ginger, chamomile, rosemary, and lemon verbena.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

In keeping with the original vision of Colonel Taylor, the water source for all the distilled spirits is the 10-foot-deep aquifer. Visitors can stroll through the grounds to the beautiful Springhouse, with its stately Doric columns and chandelier (all these had to be completely restored because the roof and limestone walls were in rough condition). A secondary tasting room on the grounds acts as a sort of parting experience for the guests. “Not all of the buildings have been restored, but most have,” says Murry.

Strolling through the gardens after a tasting is a good idea. There is a self-guided tour.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

One of the delightful discoveries made on the road to renovation was the historic train depot (with train tracks) that had been installed to help visitors arrive and depart with ease.

Eaves plans on making seasonal expressions of gin, and she sticks to some of the distilling techniques (e.g., a mash belt) that were customary in the day. Despite the breadth of the modern flavor profile, “I wanted to make the spirits historically based and a testament that honored the legacy of the site and what Colonel Taylor was producing,” she says.

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The historic castle built by Colonel Taylor is hard to miss on the 113-acre property.

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

Castle & Key officially opens on September 19, 2018, and visits to the property, which include a full tasting and tour, can be booked for $30 per person on their website.

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